Important
Safety Info: We marked some of the crafts Toddler Version, or Toddler
Crafts. For toddler crafts we have been careful not to use craft materials
that could be choking hazards. But even crayons, markers and glue stick
caps can be choking hazards. Remove caps and place out of children's reach.
Only use one glue stick per child, and watch child while they are using
it. But always supervise young children when working with crafts.

Puppets: (See PDF for updated Nativity Puppets that stand up) (For older preschool children only - Foam craft sticks could be a choking
hazard). Print a set to make as puppets. Do
everything the same, except cut off the stands before gluing on cardboard.
After cutting out your puppets, glue a jumbo craft stick on the back
of each one.

Stable: (Optional). (See PDF for updated craft instructions and wood beams craft page). Turn box upside down. Cut out the front
section of a box (leaving a few inches on the top and sides). Draw
some lines on the outside of the box with a brown marker to make a wood-like texture. (Or place contact paper with wood grain on it). To use,
place the characters inside, or in front
of, box. Use paper shred on the floor of the stable, and glue some
on top of the manger (Place glue on manger first, then pat shred on
top).

Directions
for Stand-Up Nativity Set:

Craft
pages (above links)

Note: For toddlers
and young children, use the paper hats instead of the fabric hats with
rubber bands, as these items could be choking hazards. Prep:
Print all craft pages above for Nativity set. Decide if you will
have each child make just a few characters, or have a whole set for
each child to make over the course of a few weeks, or to finish at home.
Make copies of all sheets onto card stock (if not using poster board)
except fabric hat pattern. Only make copies of paper hats if not using
fabric hats (paper hats recommended for toddlers). Fabric Hats: Stack 4 layers of fabric on top
of each other, lining up edges. Pin together. Place fabric hat pattern
onto fabric. Trace around the pattern with a fine-tipped marker or pen.
Take away pattern. Cut out the fabric hats.
(Place a fabric hat on heads (Mary, Joseph, shepherds), with cut-out
section in front. Push hat down on all sides. Position so that the cut-out
section shows the face. Put
the rubber band on top. Arrange gathers.Craft:
Color all pictures. If
you did not make copies on card stock, cut loosely around each picture
(cut off the extra space). Decide which hats you want to use for kings.
Discard others. Glue pictures onto poster board close together, making
sure to glue down the edges and in middle too. Cut out all pictures.
Kings - Cut slits between slits on both kings' arms. (To
place gifts in). Halo - Cut out inner hole. Mary - Cut slit across
top of hands. Insert baby Jesus.

Shepherd 1 - Use a hole punch a couple
of times to make large enough hole in hand to hold staff (staff is on
Mary picture). Shepherd 2 - Cut across top of his hands. Insert lamb
without stand. Angel - Glue wings on back, and halo on front of back
of head. Star - Hold punch star if hanging, or glue to top of box, if
making stable. Fold back tabs on all characters to stand. Joseph - Glue
a gift to his hand. Add glitter or glitter glue on angel's halo or tunic, King's crowns
or robes, star, etc. Allow to dry.

Week
1 - The Gift of Joy. The main preschool crafts (Ages 4 and 5) for
the week are for the children to make up the characters of Mary, Joseph
and the Angel (directions above). Add the crafts below as time permits,
or use these instead for toddler ages (2 and 3). a

Samples / Supplies:

Instructions:

Christmas
Gifts Booklet craft - Prep: Print Craft page. Cut pages apart. Cut covers
out of construction paper big enough to fold over the front and back of
booklet. Write the words on the cover: Gifts God Gives Me or Christmas
Gifts, or something similar. Let children add glitter glue to cover. (Tip:
You may want to place pictures in a tray before pouring glitter with the
for easy clean-up).

B&w
Booklet Craft page - (See PDF for this craft)

words
for Gift activity

Pages
for booklet

11
x 17" Construction paper

Crayons/Markers

Glitter
and glue or Glitter glue (optional)

Staples

Scissors (teacher only)

Coffee Filter Angel (not pictured). Prep: Print Angel picture. Cut the angel out without its wings. Craft: Color or paint. Add glitter. Fold coffee filters in half. Tape or staple
onto the back of the angel, so that some of the filters show from the front side.

Week
2- The Gift of Love! - (Links to larger pictures
are on the words, not the pictures)

Touch-'n-Feel Nativity Craft - For age 3+. Toddler Version (below) uses Printable Fabric Shapes) Prep: Print and make copies of Nativity craft page. Print Fabric Patterns page onto card stock. Cut out patterns and place on appropriate fabric, trace and cut out fabric pieces. Place star pattern on shiny wrapping paper, trace and cut out stars. Cut lengths of loopy or fringe trim to match horse's mane and cow hair. Place each set of fabric shapes in envelopes to shorten craft time. Craft: Children color picture. Help them match the shapes and glue on the fabric pieces. Use the Extra Extra color illustration for classroom decoration.

Nativity Craft page (See Main Page for Week 2 PDF)

Fabric patterns or Printable Fabric Shapes

Scissors (adult only)

Crayons, Nontoxic markers

Fabric: (if not using Printable Fabric Shapes)

Fabric that looks like lamb fur or cotton

Cow print fabric

1/2" Loopy or fringe trim

Toddler Version Touch n' Feel Nativity Craft - Prep: Print and make black and white copies of Nativity craft page. Print Printable Fabric Shapes on color printer, and make color copies (Star picture is used in Week 4), or use Fabric Patterns to trace and cut the shapes out of different colors of construction paper, or printed paper. Place each set of shapes in envelopes to shorten craft time. Craft: Children color picture. Help them match shapes to picture, and glue on shapes.

Nativity Craft page (See Main Page for Week 2 PDF)

Flannel or polar fleece (for blanket)

Shiny wrapping paper (Do NOT use foil, as it can cut).

Glue

Lift-the-Flap
Inn craft: Prep: Print both craft pages. Cut apart men. Craft: Children
color man and inn. Cut around three sides of door, but not left side.
Fold on left vertical line of door. Glue that page to plain sheet of white
paper, except not on area behind door. Glue man on background page so
that you see him when you lift the flap. Write the words on the back of
the door or on the top of the page: "There was no room at the inn".

Nativity
Stickers craft: Prep: Print stickers onto Inkjet sticker paper. There are
2 sets on each craft page. (Print on regular paper if you are using restickable
or regular gluesticks). Print stable onto regular paper. (You can have
the children color their own stable by printing the b&w stable). Cut
apart stickers. Craft: Children color the stable. Cover with contact paper
(optional). Help them cut out stickers. Glue or stick onto stable.

Lift-the-Flap Gift
craft: (Not Pictured). Prep: Print craft pages. Craft: Children color
gifts. Cut around the "box top" of each gift, but not across
the very top where the bow is. That is the horizontal line that you
will fold it on, in the middle of the bow from dot to dot.. Craft: Fold
on left horizontal line of gifts. Glue craft page ton top of plain sheet
of white paper, except not on area behind "box tops" of gifts..
Write the words, love, joy, and peace, on the background page underneath
the flaps.

Pop-Up
Angel Shepherd Craft (Toddler or Preschool)-Prep: Print craft
page and make copies. Craft: Children color craft page. Cut around
bottom of angel on solid line. Fold like a card in half vertically on
dashed line, lifting angel up and folding on diagonal dashed line. Glue
entire page to a white sheet of paper, every place except under the angel.

Angel
with 3-D Sleeves (Toddler or Preschool) - Prep: Print angel craft
page and make copies. Craft: Children color all angel parts. Help
children cut out angel parts. Bring top line of sleeve down to meet bottom
of sleeve and tape in place under arm, so that it has an open space like
a real sleeve. Glue on halo and wings. You may also fold wings so that
they stick out from the back, stapling on vertical fold line only.

Baby Jesus Gift Bag Craft (Toddler or Preschool) - Note: You can use this craft as a gift that the children make for someone else, or a craft they make to put a gift from you inside. Prep: Print Baby Jesus Craft page and make copies (2 per child). Cut paper bags to match picture shape, including half-circle shape. Cut off sides of bags to be flush with bottom of handle. Craft: Children color pictures. Teacher cuts out pictures including half circle shape at top. Help children glue their pictures onto bag, one on each side. Optional: Help children place snack into plastic sealable bags. Help child write name on gift tag and stick on bag.

Baby Jesus craft page (See Main Page for Week 3 PDF)

Scissors (teacher only)

Brown lunch bags (standard size)

Crayons

Glue sticks

Optional:

Snack (that's not a choking hazard)

Plastic sealable bags

Gift tags

Baby Jesus Manger Carry Case Craft (Preschool craft, as small pieces are a choking hazard). Prep: Print craft page and make copies (1 craft page per 3 children). Cut paper bags: Pull down upper part of bottom of bag to cut out half circle shape; cut horizontally along the crease that is about 3" up from the bottom, around sides and top to make 1" handles - Total sample craft bag is 7-1/2" high). Cut apart pictures groups. Cut 5" X 5" squares of fabric. Craft: Children color pictures. Teacher cuts out pictures. Help children write message on outside of bag and fill bag with paper shred. Show children how to wrap baby in blanket and place in manger. Children glue handles together, and glue star on top of handle.

Kings Bring Gifts Stand-Up Scene - Prep: Print craft pages. Make copies onto light weight card stock or heavy paper. (You can use regular paper, but it will be a little flimsy and hard to stand). Teacher cuts along solid lines around the two gifts that are by the fold lines. (See photo). Craft: Children color craft pages. Help children fold on dashed lines so that the kings are coming forward and the picture of Mary and Jesus is in the background. Place glue on the area of craft page 2 on the edge by the dotted line. Place Page 1 on top of the glue to cover the dotted line on Page 2. You can also use tape instead of glue.

Kings craft page1 (See Main Page for Week 4 PDF)

Kings craft page 2 (See Main Page for Week 4 PDF)

Card stock (recommended)

Crayons or nontoxic markers

Scissors (for teacher only)

Clear tape or glue sticks

Sparkly Star Puppet - Option 1: Make pattern: Print and make copies of craft page onto card stock, and cut out. Glue Foil Paper or shiny wrapping paper onto lightweight cardboard. Place star pattern on shiny paper. Trace around star pattern. Cut out stars. Craft: Help children draw on face and tape on stick. If using stick on craft page, fold in half and tape closed. Option 2: Print black and white craft page. Make copies onto different colors of card stock. Cut out stars. Craft: Children tape on stick. If using stick on craft page, fold in half and tape closed. Option 3: Print color illustrated craft page on color printer. Make color copies. Cut out stars. Craft: Children tape on stick. If using stick on craft page, fold in half and tape closed. Glitter optional: Show children how to dot glue on stars. Place star in tray. Pour glitter over star. Reuse glitter by pouring glitter back into bottle, using funnel.

Craft page (See Main Page for Week 2 PDF)

Craft page, color (See Main Page for Week 2 PDF)

Card stock (optional)

Foil paper or shiny wrapping paper (optional). Do not use aluminum foil, as it cuts.

Crayons or nontoxic markers

Scissors (for teacher only)

Jumbo Craft sticks or use stick pattern on craft page.

Fine tip black marker

Optional for Glitter:

Glitter

Glue sticks

Craft trays

Funnel

King/Camel 3D Craft - Prep: Print and make copies of craft page. Craft: Children color pictures except back. Cut out pictures for children. (Cut closely around king or on dashed line. Camel - Fold on dashed lines. Connect A on Camel piece, to A on Camel Back. (Printed side of back piece is on the outside). Tape at A and along top edge of Camel's back. King: Fold legs on dashed line. Tape or glue king character to legs, matching shape. (You will only be gluing a small area: bottom of coat and top of pants). King "rides" camel with one leg on each side. Tape King to secure to Camel.